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Yesterday’s Sony press conference provided a few surprises on the PSP front from Ken Kutaragi (above), including a new (homebrew aside) ability for the handheld to boot software from a Memory Stick and VOIP functionality. Click ahead for a full summary of what was announced.
— The company is planning three software updates during the year, said Ken Kutaragi, president of SCEI (Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.), at a briefing for software developers in Tokyo. Previous updates have added things like an internet browser.
The first update will come during the “spring” when a software update will be offered that adds support for Macromedia’s Flash, the ability to download audio podcasts, a Chinese font set, and software support for a camera and GPS unit.
The camera and GPS unit themselves will be launched in September and October respectively, but by adding the software support earlier developers will be able to write software to make use of the new hardware, said Kutaragi.
The second software update due this year will be in the “summer” and will add video podcast support and expand the video profile for the UMD removable media that the PSP uses.
A final software update, due in the “winter,” will add the ability to boot games from Memory Stick media and VOIP telephony.
The former will enable software companies to offer games that can be downloaded across the network and then run from the Memory Stick, Kutaragi said. The latter will work with the camera module and enable the PSP to be used as a VOIP handset or a video conferencing tool. The PSP includes a Wi-Fi adapter for network access.
Sony also announced plans to sell a cheaper version of the PSP in Europe and the U.S.
In Japan the handheld gaming device has been available in two versions, a basic and value pack, since launch, but in other markets only the more expensive value pack has been available. The value pack includes extras such as a Memory Stick. The basic model will be available in Europe from Mar. 22 and will cost €199 ($240) and in the U.S. from late March and will cost $199, said Kutaragi.
— Martyn Williams (IDG News Service)
08:02 PM 
Mark Hiratsuka •
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